The present invention relates generally to the field of medical diagnostic systems, such as imaging systems. More particularly, the invention relates to a technique for converting half-lines of image pixel data to full-lines for subsequent processing and display.
Images generated by X-ray and other imaging systems are acquired in a variety of manners, depending upon the structure and configuration of the detecting subsystems. In general, a detector is employed for receiving image information divided into a matrix of pixels, which, together, define an overall image of interest. The matrix of pixels is commonly divided into rows which are scanned and analyzed sequentially or in a pre-established sequential pattern. The rows of pixels are then reassembled by processing circuitry to reconstitute the useful image, which may be displayed or printed for use by an attending physician or technician.
Various scanning formats and matrix sizes are commonly employed in X-ray and other image processing modalities. In a number of these techniques, the overall image is not only divided into rows of pixels, but each row is further subdivided into half-lines of pixels. For efficient processing of the image data, the half-lines of pixels may be detected and processed in various orders. For example, in a given matrix of image pixels, half-lines of pixel data may be acquired and processed beginning at upper and lower outer edges of the image and proceeding toward a center line of the image parallel to the half-lines of pixels. In other processing techniques, half-lines of pixel data may be processed from a center line of the overall image matrix, proceeding towards upper and lower edges. Moreover, half-lines of pixel data may also be acquired and processed progressively in sequential half-lines beginning at an upper corner of the image and continuing to an opposite lower corner.
Depending upon the pixel data acquisition sequence utilized, pixel data processed by the imaging system may arrive to signal processing circuitry in interlaced half-lines of data which must be sorted to produce a meaningful image. In particular, where alternating half-lines of data arrive from opposite upper and lower portions of an image, the half-lines of data must be sorted and grouped into adjacent full-lines proceeding from one side of the image to the other. In addition, the full-lines are arranged from an upper or lower edge of the image to the opposite edge to reproduce the arrangement of the pixels representative of the body or object scanned.
In addition to the sorting and reassociation functions performed on interlaced half-lines of image data, it is sometimes desirable to produce scanned image data having different matrix dimensions (i.e., rows of pixels by columns of pixels), depending upon the type of feature being imaged and the detail desired. Accordingly, circuitry employed for processing and sorting half-lines of pixel data would advantageously accommodate the variety of matrix formats envisioned.
Solutions to the problems described above have not heretofore included significant remote capabilities. In particular, communication networks, such as, the Internet or private networks, have not been used to provide remote services to such medical diagnostic systems. The advantages of remote services, such as, remote monitoring, remote system control, immediate file access from remote locations, remote file storage and archiving, remote resource pooling, remote recording, remote diagnostics, and remote high speed computations have not heretofore been employed to solve the problems discussed above.
Thus, there is a need for a medical diagnostic system which provides for the advantages of remote services and addresses the problems discussed above, In particular, there is a need for a medical diagnostic system where contiguous full lines of pixel data are obtained in real-time as the half-lines of data are transmitted over a network. Further, there is a need for processing and sorting half-lines of pixel data over a network for faster and more efficient data communication and image display at remote locations.
One embodiment of the invention relates to a method for processing partial lines of image data from a detector, each partial line of data representing a portion of an image pixel matrix. The method includes the steps of: (a) communicating partial lines of image data over a network from an imaging system to a remote facility; (b) receiving partial lines of image data in a first sequence; (c) assigning to each partial line of image data in a first series a position in a second sequence by reference to a plurality of base addresses; (d) altering the base addresses; and (e) assigning to each partial line of image data in a second series a position in the second sequence by reference to the altered base addresses.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a method for processing a discrete pixel image, the image including a plurality of pixels disposed in an image pixel matrix. The method includes the steps of: (a) communicating the image pixel matrix over a network from an imaging system to a remote facility; (b) determining address values based upon dimensions of the image pixel matrix and a desired pixel scanning sequence; (c) generating a plurality of series of image data for pixels in the image pixel matrix; and (d) assigning to each series of image data a unique address value corresponding to a desired pixel output sequence.
Another embodiment of the invention relates to a system for processing partial lines of image data representative of discrete pixels in an image pixel matrix. The system includes a network for communication among at least one imaging system and at least one remote facility; a first memory circuit coupled to the network for storing operator configurable address values corresponding to a desired sequence of the partial lines of image data; a second memory circuit coupled to the network for storing the partial lines of image data in the desired sequence; and a signal processing circuit coupled to the network configured to assign to each partial line of image data an address value from the first memory circuit, and to store the partial lines of image data in the second memory circuit according to the assigned address values.
Other principle features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings, the detailed description, and the appended claims.